Some recent medical image diagnostic apparatuses, such as X-ray computed tomography (CT) apparatuses, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) apparatuses and ultrasound diagnostic apparatuses, are capable of acquiring four-dimensional medical image data. Such four-dimensional medical image data (hereinafter, 4D data) is a three-dimensional medical image data (hereinafter, volume data) group that is acquired chronologically. The 4D data is successively played to create the movement of an object. For example, the movement of blood flowing in blood vessels, the movement of a heart associated with its beating rate, and the movement of lungs associated with their respiration are created.
The 4D data acquired by the medical image diagnostic apparatus is successively played by a computing system of the medical image diagnostic apparatus or is temporarily stored in an image storage device and then successively played on a work station and a terminal device. However, for example, when 4D data is stored in an image storage device, there is no method to specify which volume data is the sequential volume data group that is chronologically acquired. For this reason, in a conventional method, an operator manually specifies the sequential volume data group, which is chronologically acquired, from among various volume data groups and sets the specified volume data group as 4D data, thereby realizing successive playing on a work station and a terminal device.